074 – Kelsey Day M.S., CCC-SLP – Wait and See Is Not the Way: Trach, Vent, & Swallow in the ICU

When is it too soon to see trach patients? In the OR. After that, they’re fair game. Kelsey Day explains how the PT ICU model of early mobility is a path we can follow as SLPs to get in early to work with vent-dependent patients to stop (and hopefully reverse) disuse atrophy.

Kelsey took us on a deep dive into vent settings & terminology (don’t worry, we took notes for you), to help you have a clearer idea of how sick or stable your vent-dependent ICU patients are on any given day. She also outlines how to plan for and complete swallow assessments in this population.

This is a two-part episode, so keep an eye out for the second half of our interview with Kelsey where she guides us through treatment choices for trach & vent-dependent ICU patients.